Monday, September 30, 2013

Wow, the ESPN writers picked who they think will win the various divisions (Atlantic, Pacific, Metro, Central Divisions) and these same writers also picked who they think will end up being the Stanley Cup. I am a bit surprised there isn't more love for the Detroit Redwings, only four of the writers picked the Redwings. I also have them penciled in to win the Stanley Cup.

Friday, May 31, 2013

Detroit Red Wings won 62 games in a single season (1995-96) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Well, our season is over. We lost in 7 games to Chicago in the second round of the playoffs.

To be brutally honest (and probably not the most ardent of Red Wings fan), I'm elated they went that far. Let's face it: Did ANYONE think the Wings would take the Hawks (who won the Presidents' Trophy this year) to the brink of elimination?

This gets me in trouble all the time with how I see things with UND as well but... yeah, the Wings aren't going to hoist the Cup... but I think this season was an overwhelming success looking back on the issues the Wings had to overcome this year. Babcock is truly a great coach.

I thought that, defensively, the Red Wings weren't exactly a force to be reckoned with. I really questioned depth all around at times this shortened season. I also wonder if the season had been a full one, if the Red Wings would have even made the playoffs.

I still think that Datsyuk is one of the best players in the NHL. I'm probably alone in this comparison but... I see a lot of Vladimir Konstantinov (who is probably my favorite Red Wing believe it or not) in Niklas Kronwall. And it sucks to have the dagger that ended the season go off his skate and into the net.

I think Jimmy Howard has REALLY stepped up. Goaltending was a huge concern of mine thanks to a lot of awfulness in the final years of Chris Osgood's career.

The Wings are YOUNG and they aren't as flashy as the young players on the Hawks (as an example). However I think that, if they continue to progress and Babcock remains as effective as he has been, the Wings will be a force to be reckoned with.

And the best news is that the media won't know where they came from. They'll be too busy fawning over the Penguins.

I know this is brief and kindof general but life's been hellish for me and I wasn't able to watch as many games as I would have wanted this year.

Tuesday, May 07, 2013

s/t to Kuklas Korner... Last night was pretty tame night of hockey, compared to the night before. Obviously, the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators gave us a lot to talk about, but no one was suspended, ironically… I am not sure how that happened.

On Monday night, the other series just played hockey and scored goals, there wasn’t a lot of controversy. In the L.A. and St. Louis series, both teams kept hitting each other. According to Don Cherry of the Coaches Corner there was 92 hits in game three.

This hit is for my two delusional buddies Mafia Man and Redwing77, who for whatever reason enjoy watching paint dry… I mean, watching the Detroit Red Wings play hockey.

Friday, August 17, 2012

One casualty of the impending lockout is that the Detroit Redwings have cancelled their prospects tourney that they hold every summer in Traverse City Michigan.

Helene St. James, Freepress.com --- General manager Ken Holland told the Free Press that, "we had a conference call with all the teams involved. Due to the uncertainty of CBA negotiations and teams having to make commitments for hotel rooms and travel plans -- the biggest thing is the hotel rooms. The people Up North needed to know if the rooms would be used or not. So we made the decision to cancel for 2012. We plan to be back next year."

Games among prospects for the Wings, Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues were to have run Sept. 15-19 at Centre Ice Arena.

Mike Brohy of Sportsnet.CA says not so fast don’t shoot the messenger. [Sportsnet.CA]

Not Lockout related but former Fighting Sioux forward Brad Malone is ranked 5th on the Av’s prospects.

5. Brad Malone, C: After he was taken with the 105th pick in the 2007 draft, Malone spent the next four years at the University of North Dakota. There he developed into an NHL-ready power forward. The Miriamichi, New Brunswick native turned pro prior to last season and made an immediate impact. That's not surprising -- Malone's size (6-foot-2, 207 pounds) and fearless attitude make him a valuable lower-line presence for any organization. He's also got some offensive pop, with 11 goals and 25 assists in 67 games for Lake Erie. When the Avalanche forward lines were hampered by injuries in December, Malone performed well in a nine-game tryout, averaging 10 minutes a game and notching two assists. If his development stays on schedule, look for him to make a breakthrough with Colorado sometime next season. "He's just a big strong guy who plays the center and the wing," Billington said. "He's got good hockey sense, and he's not afraid."

The labor impasse and the prospects of an impending lockout is holding up the signing of free agent deals. Phoenix Coyotes unrestricted free agent forward Shane Doan seems to be a casualty of this as well.

Sarah McLellan, Arizona Republic --– The Coyotes have been among the more conservative operators this offseason, waiting for potential buyer Greg Jamison and long-term captain Shane Doan to decide their futures with the team before the front office could further retool the roster.

But in the weeks leading up to the scheduled open of training camps in mid-September, the pulse around the league has copied that of the Coyotes, slowing as uncertainty picks up with the approaching expiration date of the collective bargaining agreement.

"Everybody is in a holding pattern in regards to the deals they can potentially make," Coyotes general manager Don Maloney said. "The last number of years, August is a quiet month anyway, but this CBA makes it a little quieter than normal."

Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News expects a work stoppage to happen but doesn’t think the lockout will go on very long. I agree as well, because I have a really hard time believing that the NHL would take a chance at losing their money maker the Winter Classic.

The players are thinking globally for the good of the game, allowing the salary cap to stay and proposing ideas like luxury taxes, trading of salary cap space and broader revenue sharing. Bettman and many owners are seemingly thinking only about their pockets. In a rarity for sports labor disputes, most fans are on the players' side.

My sense is we're not going to have an 82-game season but this won't go on too long. I find it hard to believe the league would blow off all the exposure HBO will be again providing with its 24/7 series in advance of the Winter Classic. And let's not forget the expected world record crowd in the 115,000 range likely to pack the Big House at the University of Michigan for the Red Wings and Leafs on New Year's Day.

Still, I wouldn't be making downtown dinner reservations prior to a hockey game thinking you're going to be seeing the Sabres against the Penguins (Oct. 13), Red Wings (Oct. 16) or Rangers (Oct. 19). Under the current schedule, in fact, seven of the Sabres' first 10 games through Nov. 3 are at home. They all seem in jeopardy now.

Backes had the highest average ice time per game among forwards (19 minutes 59 seconds) on a Blues club that allowed the fewest goals in the NHL by a wide margin. The six-foot-three, 225-pound centre was a punishing physical presence, doling out a team-leading 226 hits to join Los Angeles forward Dustin Brown as the only players to record 200 hits or more in each of the past five seasons.

Backes led the Blues in faceoffs, blocked shots and posted a plus-15 rating. The Blues captain is an NHL trophy finalist for first time in his seven-year career and is the first Blues player up for the Selke since Michal Handzus finished second in 2000.

Bergeron led the NHL in plus-minus (plus-36) and posted a plus-18 rating both at home and on the road in helping the Bruins rank second in the Eastern Conference in team defence (2.39 goals-against average).

NEW YORK -- Nashville Predators defenseman Shea Weber has been fined $2,500, the maximum allowed under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for delivering a blow to the head of Detroit forward Henrik Zetterberg in Game 1 of the teams' Western Conference Quarterfinal series in Nashville on Wednesday, April 11, the National Hockey League's Department of Player Safety announced today.

The incident occurred at 20:00 of the third period. Weber was assessed a minor penalty for roughing.

"This was a reckless and reactionary play on which Weber threw a glancing punch and then shoved Zetterberg's head into the glass," said NHL Senior Vice President of Player Safety and Hockey Operations Brendan Shanahan. "As is customary whenever Supplemental Discipline is being considered, we contacted Detroit following the game and were informed that Zetterberg did not suffer an apparent injury and should be in the lineup for Game 2.

Weber for his efforts was given a two minute minor for roughing, the length of the Weber's penalty is irrelevant, because the league can review played that didn't get penalized.

I imagine the NHL's Department of Players Safety will take a look at this play, but you never know with Brendan Shanahan, he has been so inconsistent this season, almost to the point of it being a joke in his ruling this season. Shannahan has let players off the hook with no fine or suspension and then has turned around and given a suspension for hits that were not as bad as hits where a player deserved a suspension and got nothing. So who knows in this situation?

Zetterberg did board Weber earlier in the game so this could be a retaliation for that earlier hit?

Sunday, May 08, 2011

This one is for my buddy Redwing77, this play by Pavel Datsyuk is a thing of beauty and from what I have read it sounds like that Pavel Datsyuk is playing hurt and was a game time decision because he has a injured wrist. Pavel Datsyuk is one of the best two way forwards in the NHL, if the Redwings advance to the Stanley Cup might get some love as Hart Trophy.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

I think the table has been set for the discussion that is about to follow. Chris Osgood is 10th all time in wins, most of the people above him on the list are in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Lets break it down further - (3) Thee Stanley Cups 1997, 1998, 2008, (400) four hundred wins, Osgood has played in 742 NHL game has a .905 save percentage and a 2.49 goals against average, in the Stanley Cup Playoffs Osgood has played in 129 games .916 save percentage and a goals against average of 2.09. Just for comparison sake Grant Fuhr played in 868 games had a not so impressive 3.38 goals against average and .887 save percentage and he was inducted into the hall of game in 2003. In my opinion it kind of sounds like Osgood had a NHL Hall of Fame career to me...

Sunday, August 08, 2010

Chris Chelios finally decided to hang up his skates, think about this, Chelios played professional hockey well into his 40's, he played 7 games with the Atlanta Thrasher at age 48. That is impressive in my book, most guys that age are lucky to keep up in an old timers league game at the local rink.

DETROIT - Red Wings general manager Ken Holland says Chris Chelios is going to work for the team.

Holland said Saturday night that Chelios' new job doesn't have a title yet and his specific responsibilities haven't been determined.

The 48-year-old Chelios played for the Atlanta Thrashers last season. The defenseman helped Detroit and Montreal win the Stanley Cup, won the Norris Trophy three times as the NHL's top defenseman, and was an 11-time All-Star.